MIDLOTHIAN — Chad Littlefield wasn’t in the military, but he became passionate about helping troubled veterans after meeting famous Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, friends said.

One of those veterans is accused of killing the two last weekend at a Glen Rose gun range. On Friday, hundreds of Littlefield’s friends, family members and acquaintances packed the First Baptist Church of Midlothian to say their goodbyes.

Attendees said they were struggling to overcome the shock of the shooting. But they said they took solace in the fact that Littlefield, 35, was religious and died trying to help others.

“Both men were doing what they enjoyed the most — helping people that were down and out,” said Drew Erickson, pastor of Ovilla Road Baptist Church.

The hourlong funeral was short on formalities. Instead, two pastors discussed Littlefield’s faith and family. In between their talks, a long slideshow was projected on a video board that included pictures of Littlefield playing youth sports, hugging his daughter and kissing his wife.

A friend, Chet Kelley, choked back tears as he read a poem he wrote for the occasion.

“Thanks for the memories, the good and the bad,” he said. “You truly were the best friend I ever had.”

The funeral brought an outpouring of support. The spacious main sanctuary in the church was full more than 30 minutes before the funeral began, forcing about 75 attendees to watch the proceedings from a video feed in an adjacent room. Littlefield’s silver casket was surrounded by massive bouquets of flowers.

Outside, a handful of people sat in lawn chairs with American flags waiting to watch his hearse drive by.

At least 50 members of the Patriot Guard Riders motorcycle group lined up outside the church to escort Littlefield’s family to the cemetery. At the end of the funeral, they presented his parents with a folded American flag.

After the service, Littlefield’s father-in-law, Tom Montgomery, defended the idea of helping troubled war veterans through target practice.

The men could not have anticipated the actions of Eddie Ray Routh, who has been charged in the shootings, Montgomery said.

“I have to believe that Chris Kyle, with all his military background and specialized training was quite capable of reading people,” he said.

During the funeral, though organizers acknowledged the violent way Littlefield died they didn’t dwell on it. The man accused of killing them wasn’t mentioned. Instead, the two eulogizers told stories from his childhood and lauded the way he treated his wife and young daughter.

“Chad was a loyal man — a man that loved his family and his friends,” Erikson said. “He was trustworthy and honorable in everything he did.”

That was especially true with his wife, Leanne Littlefield, a principal at Walnut Grove Middle School in Midlothian.

The pair met in a Jack in the Box drive-through. She was in the car in front of him, thought he looked cute and left him her number asking him to call her.

“I don’t know if there is a Jack in the Box in heaven, but, if there is, I promise you Chad is waiting for you at the drive-through,” said Kenny Lowman, the pastor who married them.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Memorial for Kyle

The memorial service for Navy SEAL Chris Kyle will be at Cowboys Stadium on Monday at 1 p.m. Doors will open at 11:30 a.m. Parking is free. Use Lots 1, 2 and 10, which are closest to Randol Mill and North Collins. Enter through Gates A and K on the north side of the stadium. The family has requested that no photos be taken during the ceremony.

A burial processional for Kyle will begin Tuesday at 9 a.m. The processional will start on U.S. 67, just west of U.S. 287, and will be traveling to Austin via U.S. 67 South and Interstate 35W South. Those who wish to honor the slain veteran are encouraged to line the highways to show their support

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